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Nitrogen management in southeast Minnesota meeting set for March 13 in Rochester

A multitude of issues related to nitrates in water in southeast Minnesota have come to the forefront over the past few years. This has led to a reexamination of how nitrogen fertilizer and manure are managed in the region. University of Minnesota Extension will conduct a day long meeting in Rochester on March 13 for farmers and those involved in agriculture to discuss the current situation. Topics covered include: An update on the current regulatory and policy situation How nitrogen behaves in the environment and how it gets into water The dynamics of groundwater recharge in southeast Minnesota Best management practices for both commercial fertilizer and manure, based on local research On-farm nitrogen management research results in southeast Minnesota The day will conclude with a panel discussion of local farmers talking about how they manage nitrogen inputs on their farm. In addition to the presentations, several resource booths will be set up for one-on-one discussion regarding va...
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Nutrient management & cover crops: A research update across Minnesota

Today we talk with four panelists throughout Minnesota about nutrient management and cover crops. What are some results of new research looking into incorporating covers into a nutrient management strategy? What are some of the specific rotations being measured, and why? What do farmers need to know about new manure management regulations and cover crops? How much of MN has incorporated covers? This and more on today's episode. TRANSCRIPT Guests: Lindsay Pease, Extension nutrient and water management specialist (Crookston) Melissa Wilson, Extension manure nutrient management specialist (St. Paul) Jeff Vetsch, U of M researcher (Waseca) Bailey Tangen, Extension educator (Farmington) Additional Resources: Land application of manure MPCA announces updated water permits now available to large feedlot operators Feedlot permits: What's new in 2025? Great Lakes Cover Crop Project — Click here to listen to all Nutrient Management Podcast episodes. For the latest nutrient management i...
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Reminder: First Science for Success soybean webinar is Friday!

The first session in the Science for Success soybean webinar series is happening this Friday! Experts from across the country will discuss the necessary tools for overcoming weather challenges, from hurricanes to severe drought in this two-part, Soybean Resilience Blueprint webinar series.  February 28 : Climate Challenges in Soybean Production - This session will explore the impacts of changing weather on soybean production and offer actionable insights into overcoming these challenges. March 14 : Economic Insights for Uncertain Times -  This session will provide practical strategies to manage economic volatility in soybean farming. Both webinars are scheduled for 1PM EST | 12 PM CST. Each webinar will last approximately one hour and include a live Q&A session, allowing participants to engage directly with the speakers. Certified Crop Advisers can earn 1.0 CEU credit in Crop Management by attending the webinar. For questions, email ortmeierclarke@ncsu.edu . Regist...
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Four things I’ve learned about nitrogen management for corn based on a decade of research in Minnesota

By: Fabian Fernandez, Extension nitrogen management specialist Taking advantage of the cold days on which I prefer to stay inside, I am taking a few minutes to share four things I have learned over more than a decade of research on nitrogen management for corn in Minnesota. 1. Spring applications are better than fall applications. While there are logistical and practical reasons why nitrogen fertilizers are sometimes applied in the fall, it is important to recognize that those applications are seldom better than doing the same application (same rate, placement, and N source) in the spring. IN a 25-site-year study across Minnesota, encompassing corn-after corn and corn after soybean cropping systems and N rates with fall and spring applications of urea, I calculated that a spring application of urea reduced the amount of N needed to achieve the economic optimum N rate (EONR) by 28 pounds of N/acre and it produced 9 bushels/acre more grain than a fall application. Clearly, fall applicati...
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Farmers needed for second year of soil pest research in corn and soybean in southern Minnesota

Drs. Fei Yang, Extension corn entomologist, and Bob Koch, Extension soybean entomologist, are continuing a project to evaluate pests that feed on seeds and seedlings in corn and soybean fields in southern Minnesota. In areas with severe infestations, these pests can cause significant stand losses or even require replanting of fields. Despite these potential impacts, much remains unknown about these pests in Minnesota corn and soybean. This article serves as a request for additional cooperating farmers for 2025, and an update on results from 2024. Request for cooperating farmers for 2025 They are seeking cooperating farmers in southern Minnesota to allow their research team to sample corn and soybean fields from April to June 2025. They are especially interested in sampling corn and soybean fields with the following characteristics: have recently come out of pasture, CRP, etc., are no-till, are following cover crops, have high organic matter, and/or have not had insecticide seed treat...
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Register now for the 2025 Minnesota Irrigator Program (MIP) in Becker, MN!

By: Tim Gieseke, Extension educator, ag water management, Vasudha Sharma, Extension irrigation specialist, & Jackie Estrem, Extension educator Over the past few years, efficient agricultural irrigation has become a hot topic in Minnesota. In regions with sandy soils and limited precipitation, irrigation is a key component of production agriculture. Matching irrigation with crop water use has become more important to maintain profit and maximize the groundwater resources. An understanding of the plant-water-soil relationship, proper irrigation system maintenance, and use of irrigation scheduling are just some of the tools irrigators use for cost-effective crop production.  The University of Minnesota Extension is offering the Minnesota Irrigator Program (MIP) to provide you with the information you need to make irrigation decisions in 2025, and help improve your irrigation use efficiency. Programming will include a discussion of the basics of irrigation, irrigation systems, how ...
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Strategic Farming: Let's talk crops session talks modeling soybean success after a winter rye cover crop

By Angie Peltier, UMN Extension crops educator, Garcia y Garcia, UMN Extension sustainable cropping systems specialist and Seth Naeve, UMN Extension soybean agronomist On February 19, 2025, Axel Garcia y Garcia, UMN Extension sustainable cropping systems specialist joined UMN Extension crops educator Liz Stahl for a discussion about how he is using crop modeling to help soybean and corn producers gain important insights into how to successfully incorporate a rye cover crop into their cropping system before their soybean crop. This was the seventh weekly episode of the 2025 Strategic Farming: Let’s talk crops! webinars. The series runs through March.   To watch this and other episodes: http://z.umn.edu/StrategicFarmingRecordings A 12-state effort to assist farmers Garcia y Garcia and Seth Naeve, UMN Extension soybean agronomist, are the Minnesota representatives of a much larger team of university-based agronomists and cover crops experts working together to gather data and develop...
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